Undoubtedly one of the leading lights in the Drum & Bass scene, Nookie, aka Cloud Nine/Second Vision/New Balance (along with Blame), is London/Herts DJ/producer/artist/remixer Gavin Cheung.
To his credit is “Give a little love”, one of the first underground rave anthems, which came out on absolute 2 records then re-released on Reinforced Records in 1993. “The sound of music”, another early rave anthem from “The return of Nookie EP”, also issued by Reinforced records was to catapult him into the limelight, “Snow”/“Jazzmin” on Moving Shadow, one of the first tunes to use a real jazz double bass. He was also running his own label in the early nineties (Daddy Armshouse Records) with his long-time friend Pedro, and had a number of releases to his credit.
Tracks included on “In@thedeepend” are “Innerspace”, “Dimensions of Sound” and the piano driven anthem “Natural Experience” which Good Looking records recruit Makoto has remixed. Despite these quality releases, Nookie is not resting on his laurels. He’s always looking at new ways to stretch his musical and DJ’ing talents and has already produced some House tunes for his “In@thedeepend” album.
Review:
Nookie's first full-length album in seven years reaffirms his position
at the forefront of the U.K. drum'n'bass scene as if he'd never left. However,
where his earlier album, The Sound of Music (1995), was released by Selector
Records and was much akin to 4 Hero's work for the same label, In@thedeepend
is released by Good Looking Records and is much akin to LTJ Bukem's work for
the same label. The tracks on this album represent the lighter and more musical
side of drum'n'bass – no monstrous basslines from hell and nightmarish motifs
like much U.K. drum'n'bass in the early 2000s, but rather a pleasant array of
live-sounding instrumentation and some lingering ambience quietly tucked behind
the percussion. Furthermore, Nookie even collaborates with one of Good
Looking's MCs, DRS, for “Pushing the Vibe,” a very Bukemesque track
that's surely an album highlight, along with “Natural Experience,” which
features a subtle use of vocals along with some of the trademark dolphin-like
sounds associated with Good Looking. And, just to prove that he's one of the
most versatile drum'n'bass producers out there despite his longtime inactivity,
Nookie even throws in an homage to old-school Detroit techno, the “No
UFO's”-sounding “Stepping Back [Made in Detroit Mix].” By the time you
make it all the way through the nine epic tracks filling this album, you can't
help but hope Nookie producer Gavin Cheung continues to release tracks through
Good Looking rather than drop out of the scene again, as he'd done following his
previous and also impressive album in 1995.
All Music Guide – Jason Birchmeier